LEAFS determination and concentration of metals in Great Lakes ecosystem

A Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometric (LEAFS) method for Tl determination has been extended to investigate the direct determination (without preconcentration nor acid digestion) of total Pb, for which the method validation was successfully achieved by using a standard reference material as well as many spike recoveries of digested and undigested unfiltered water samples. The method was applied to study total and dissolved Pb in many water columns collected from different stations in Lake Ontario. Dissolved Pb was found to be about twice as much as dissolved Tl, and total Pb about seven times higher than total Tl. Seventy five percent of Pb is in particulate form versus 11% for Tl. Also, a simple cold dissolution procedure using HNO₃ and HF (not a hot acid digestion) is proposed to liquefy sediments in a form suitable for LEAFS analysis and was used to analyze a sediment core, where pore water samples were also collected. The interaction dynamics of Tl within the natural environment of a water/pore water/sediment system from Lake Erie was assessed. The calculations of fluxes suggest a strong similarity between Tl and Cd geochemical transport. The paper also presents for the first time a genuine sediment pore water profile of Tl concentration, which ranged from sub- to 40 ng/l and which was directly determined by LEAFS.     

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for the Evaluation of Element Mobility in Bottom Sediment Collected at Mining and Smelting Pb–Zn Ores Area in Poland

The current BCR procedure for metal fractionation recommended by the Standard Measurement and Testing Programme requires rather time-consuming sample pretreatment. Ultrasonic energy seems to be an attractive alternative for leaching metal from solid samples into a liquid extractant phase. This study aims at optimizing ultrasonic extraction in order to replace the BCR method of leaching using acetic acid and to apply the procedure of assessing element mobility in bottom sediment rich in moderately soluble carbonate minerals. The application of ICP-MS allowed the determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Tl and Zn in extracts, in a wide range of concentration without any special treatment. Finally, 40’min extraction in an ultrasonic bath was proposed for evaluation of the mobile fraction of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn as an assessment of environmental risk. The recovery of the ultrasound-assisted extraction in comparison to the shake-filter method, as applied in the common BCR procedure, was slightly higher than 100% for As, Cr and Pb, reasonably high (about 70%) for Cd, Zn and Cd, but did not exceed 21% for Tl. Also, the mobility and extractability (relative mobility) of the studied elements from sediment collected over one year were compares. According to the results obtained after 40’min of ultrasound-assisted extraction it can be concluded that mobility did not change over one year for Cr, Cu, As, Cd, Ni and Tl, but noticeable differences for Zn and Pb were observed. The total content of all studied elements was almost the same in samples taken in the years 2003 and 2004, respectively.     

Online coupling of ultraviolet titanium dioxide film reactor with poly(methyl methacrylate) solid phase extraction–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for speciation of trace heavy metals in freshwater

To rapidly discriminate dissolved labile and stable organic-complexed metal ions, a fully automated approach comprising a photocatalyst-assisted digestion reactor (PADR), a non-functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solid-phase extraction (SPE) column, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrumentation was developed. To separate labile dissolved metals from other concomitant metal complexes, a non-functionalized PMMA bead was used as the SPE adsorbent because of its selective interaction with labile metal ions. The PMMA SPE–ICP-MS hyphenated system was optimized, and its analytical reliability was confirmed by using it to analyze the certified reference material—NIST 1643e (artificial saline water). Detection limits (σ = 3, n = 7) for all analyte ions (Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), which ranged from 0.005 to 0.186 μg L^{− 1}, could be reached; therefore, this technique appeared uniquely suited to determining levels of trace elements in most natural freshwater samples. To determine the total quantity of dissolved metals, a new digestion reactor (PADR) was developed for online conversion of metal–organic complexes to their labile forms. Compared to conventional photolysis methods, the digestion time improved considerably and the digestion efficiency for organic substances was excellent (> 90%) in the PADR format, with a very short resident time of 10 min. After construction of the PADR–PMMA SPE–ICP-MS hyphenated system, the speciation potential of our developed method was evaluated by analyzing three intentionally contaminated water samples. Results indicated that our developed hyphenated system is effective for online determination of total, labile, and metal–humic complexes in freshwater samples and that is capable of providing representative metal speciation patterns for different aquatic systems.     

Ultra-trace determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) in drinking water and alcoholic beverages using homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

The determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) in different sample matrices, including drinking water, distilled spirits and fruit wine, was carried out by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) after pre-concentration using homogeneous liquid-liquid extraction (HLLE). First, the HLLE method was optimised with lead diethyldithiocarbamate (Pb-DDTC) complex which was extracted with a perfluorooctanoate anion (PFOA^?) dissolved in lithium hydroxide under acidic conditions. The optimum extraction conditions, using 0.01 M DDTC, 0.05 M PFOA^?, 3 M HCl and 1 mL of 30 vol. % acetone, were obtained. The Pb-DDTC complex in the nitric acid digest of the samples (50–150 mL) was extracted quantitatively into a drop of 100 μL of sediment phase. The sediment phase dissolved in 1 vol. % HNO₃ with at least 3–5 mL of the final volume was then determined by FAAS, affording a pre-concentration factor of 10–50. Hence, the HLLE method afforded an increase in both sensitivity and selectivity for the metal determination by conventional FAAS, resulting in ultra-trace level detection of Pb(II) in all samples analysed (drinking water, 9.2–23 ng mL^?1; distilled spirits, 23–50 ng mL^?1; fruit wine, 24–53 ng mL^?1). In addition, the proposed method could successfully be applied to Cd(II) determination in these samples.     

Sorption–Atomic Absorption Determination of Trace Elements in Natural Waters Using Simultaneous Atomization of a Solid Concentrate and Suspended Matter

A sorption–atomic absorption technique with dynamic preconcentration on DETATA adsorbents in a microcolumn crucible followed by the direct atomization of a solid matrix (concentrate + suspended matter) was used to determine the total dissolved and suspended Cd, Pb, and Tl (El_dis+ El_susp) in natural waters. The detection limits were 1–3 ng/L for Cd and 5–30 ng/L for Pb and Tl. The results of the sorption–filtration atomic absorption determination of the total dissolved and suspended elements can provide extra information for the speciation analysis of waters.     

The role of different soil sample digestion methods on trace elements analysis: a comparison of ICP-MS and INAA measurement results

The measurement of trace-element concentration in soil, sediment and waste, is generally a combination of a digestion procedure for dissolution of elements and a subsequent measurement of the dissolved elements. “Partial” and “total” digestion methods can be used in environmental monitoring activities. To compare measurement results obtained by different methods, it is crucial to determine and to maintain control of the bias of the results obtained by these methods. In this paper, ICP-MS results obtained after matrix digestion with modified aqua regia (HCl+HNO₃+H₂O₂) method and two “total” digestion methods (microwave aqua regia+HF and HNO₃+HF) are compared with those obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis, a non-destructive analytical method for the determination of the total mass concentrations of inorganic components in environmental matrices. The comparison was carried out on eight agricultural soil samples collected in one test area and measured by k₀-INAA and ICP-MS to determine As, Co, Cr, Sb and Zn mass concentration. The bias of results for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn of the three digestion methods were assessed using selected measurement standards. This paper highlights that the digestion procedure is an integral part of the measurement and can affect the measurement result in environmental analysis.     

Distribution of Minor and Trace Metals in Carezza Lake (ANTARCTICA) Ecosystem

Abstract

This paper reports the distribution of a series of metals in natural samples collected at Carezza Lake in Antarctica, during the Italian Expedition in the austral summer 1989/90. The considered elements are: water, sediments and soil sampled from the surroundings of the lake and algae. The determination of the total concentration of the following metals was performed: Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Zn. In addition, for sediment and soil samples, a speciation study was performed for some metals, namely Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, using the Tessier procedure.     

不同基体改进剂对石墨炉原子吸收法测定土壤和沉积物中铊的影响

应用Pd(NO3)2-抗坏血酸(Vc)基体改进剂,建立了石墨炉原子吸收法(GFAA法)测定土壤和沉积物样品中铊。针对土壤和沉积物复杂基体,GFAA法测定铊元素主要受到氯离子的干扰,文中研究了常见基体改进剂(包括NH4NO3,(NH4)2SO4,La(NO3)3,Mg(NO3)2,Vc,Pd(NO3)2,Pd(NO3)2-Vc)对氯离子的抑制效果。通过研究不同基体改进剂测定含氯铊标准溶液的吸收曲线,探讨出基体改进剂测定铊的作用机理。以土壤或沉积物标准物质为研究对象,优化了应用Pd(NO3)2-Vc测定铊的灰化温度、基改剂浓度以及原子化温度。在最佳实验条件下,通过比较有无基体改进剂条件下,采用GFAA法测定不同土壤和沉积物中铊的精密度和准确度,实验结果表明,应用Pd(NO3)2-VC基体改进剂,测定土壤和沉积物标准物质中铊的测定结果都在标准值范围之内,6次平行测定的相对标准偏差范围为2.8%~8.4%,用于测定实际土壤和沉积物样品加标回收率为128.0%和92.9%。     

Studies on the use of XeF2 as digestion reagent

A digestion procedure was developed for the determination of selected elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, La, Mg, Ni, Sr, Pb, Zn) in sediments using XeF₂. The use of XeF₂ has some interesting features but this reagent should be handled only under dry gas which is a severe limitation of the methodology. In a first step the sediment sample (0.1 g) is dried (120 °C) and digested by XeF₂ (1.5 g) in the vapor phase (190 °C; 9 × 10⁶ Pa). Then the dry residue is dissolved in aqua regia and the solution digested at high pressure once again (aqua regia digestion). Subsequently the digested solution is diluted with sub-boiling distilled water and is ready for the analysis by ICP-MS. The sediment standard CRM 320 was analyzed to verify the procedure. A comparison of the results with those obtained by the normally used fluoric acid digestion showed that the recovery rates of each investigated element agreed within a confidence interval of 95%, except Cr. The recovery rate of Cr was lower for the XeF₂ digestion than for the fluoric acid digestion by more than 5%. Further studies were focussed on the possible digestion of SiC by XeF₂ as first step for the trace element determination. In the gaseous reaction products Si could be detected by ICP-MS which gives evidence to a decomposition of SiC. A digestion procedure for small Si samples (0.010 g) was developed. Detection limits (DL) determined for selected elements of analytical interest (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb) were between 1 to 12 ng/g. For most of the elements this is an improvement in comparison to the HF vapor phase digestion. The verification of the method was carried out with GFAAS. Received: 17 February 1999 / Revised: 15 June 1999 / Accepted: 17 June 1999     

Material transport between the atmosphere and sediment of the Lake Balaton

A monitoring system was developed to gain information on the present level of pollutants in the Lake Balaton, Hungary. Determination of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and inorganic pollutants (mostly toxic metals) in aerosol, precipitation and sediment samples was carried out. The aim of collecting aerosol and precipitate samples in the same site at the same period was to determine the distribution of elements in two depositions. For the fractionation by particle size, aerosols were sampled by a cascade impactor. A simple three-stage sequential leaching procedure was applied to establish the distribution of metals among environmentally mobile, bound to carbonates and oxides, and environmentally immobile, (bound to silicates) fractions in aerosols. Sediment samples were collected from 17 different sites inside of the lake and 10 sites at harbors at 30–70 cm in depth. Core samples were cut to 10-cm pieces, dried at room temperature, and finally passed through a 63-μm sieve. Total concentrations of elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after an acidic digestion. The concentrations of PAHs were determined by HPLC method with fluorescence detection.In aerosol samples collected from September 6, 2002 to January 26, 2003, concentration of Cd was <0.1 μg/m³, and the majority of Cd has been found in the mobile fraction. Cadmium was associated to particles between 0.25 and 2 μm indicating the anthropogenic origin. Similar distribution of Pb was obtained in all seasons, and the highest concentration of Pb was found as 8.6 ng/m³ in particle size of 0.7 and 1.4 μm. Results of total concentration of elements of bottom sediments of the Lake Balaton and harbors were compared to Interim Sediment Quality Guideline (ISQG) values and the Probable Effect Level (PEL) values. Data showed that the average concentrations of elements were usually less than those of ISQGs and other background data for soils and geochemical values. The sediment is not polluted and its disposal is feasible. There is no direct correlation between the concentration of elements deposited onto the surface of the lake from dry and wet deposition and the upper part of the sediment. So, from the budget of the deposition, the concentration of elements in the upper layer of the sediment cannot be predicted.Seasonal changes of the concentration of PAHs in aerosol was observed, samples collected at winter contained the highest values. In December–January 2002/2003, the wet deposition was found as 64 μg/m² period. Among the individual compounds, the wet deposition rate of phenantrane, fluoranthene and pyrene was dominant, while for dry deposition, these compounds were fluoranthene and pyrene. The concentrations of ∑PAHs found for all sites and depth of sediment samples ranged from 11 to 1734 μg/kg dry weight with an average of 132 μg/kg. These values represent a quite low pollution level compared to other sediment with anthropogenic influence. Based on the results, it can be definitely confirmed that the chemical quality of the water and sediment of the Lake Balaton is satisfactory.     

乳化辅助微波消解-ICP-ORS-MS快速测定霜膏类化妆品中17种微量元素

采用乳化剂和硝酸体系微波消解样品,带八极杆碰撞/反应池(ORS)的电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法同时测定了霜膏类化妆品中铍、硼、铝、钛、铬、锌、砷、硒、银、镉、锡、锑、碘、钕、汞、铊和铅等17种微量元素.通过优化样品前处理和ICP-MS操作条件,降低了质谱干扰,各元素的检出限(3σ)在0.003 ～0.058 ...     

Laser-induced fluorescence determination of thallium in sediments

A simple dissolution procedure is decribed for sediments to be analyzed for thallium by Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (LEAFS). It simply uses a nitric – hydrofluoric acid mixture at room temperature (a “cold dissolution” procedure as opposed to the hot acid digestion) followed by a dilution with water (as opposed to the tedious steps of separation and preconcentration). Excellent accuracy (91–106% recoveries) and precision (4–10% relative standard deviation) were demonstrated by the use of five sediment reference materials of diverse origins. The detection limit was estimated to be 0.5 ng/g of thallium. Additionally, a hot plate digestion procedure, using an in-house designed semi-enclosed Teflon beaker, was also investigated; its analytical results agreed with certified values and confirmed the adequacy of the cold dissolution technique. The method is being applied to study the sediment – water interactions in lake environments. Received: 30 December 1996 / Revised: 20 March 1997 / Accepted: 30 March 1997     

Comparison of different digestion methods for total decomposition of siliceous and organic environmental samples.

A comparison was made of different digestion methods for the total decomposition of siliceous and organically environmental samples prior to their analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In the present study, three different digestion methods, including microwave-assisted, hot plate heating and pressurized digestion (pressure bomb), were employed for the determination of nine heavy metals, i.e. Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediment, soil, sludge and oil. The investigation of different combinations of acids through their analytical performance demonstrated that HCl plays a vital role in the determination of silver. The combination of HNO3 and HCl possesses more reactive ability in oxidizing organic matter. The recoveries of all elements of interest in sediment (NIST 2704) obtained by different digestion methods were found to be 86% to 113%, while microwave assisted digestion with various combinations of HNO3-HCl-HF and HNO3-HClO4-HF was considered to be a viable alternative to the conventional digestion systems because of its more intensive reaction conditions. The analytical results of four certified reference materials with different matrices, including sediment (GBW 07305), soil (GBW 07411), sludge (BCR R-143) and oil (NIST 1085a), by the microwave-assisted acid digestion method indicated that the recoveries of all elements of interest were more than 85% and the throughput of applied analytical method could be elevated significantly.     

Bestimmung von Konzentrationsgradienten gel?ster Schwermetalle an der Sediment/Wasser-Grenzfl?che mit Hilfe der Dialysetechnik

Summary Laboratory and field evaluations were made of a diffusion-controlled sampler which incorporates a 0.2-m polycarbonate membrane to filter pore water samples in situ. Sample ports at 1-cm intervals were exposed both above and beneath the sediment-water interface enabling determination of geochemical gradients and dissolved metal profiles at the interface. Gradients obtained for ions whose concentrations are controlled by redox processes in the sediment column were not consistent with those determined from interstitial water by squeezing of adjacent sediment. The diffusive flux of dissolved metal species across the sediment-water interface can be assessed more accurately using this sampler than by data collected from conventional benthic cores.     

An experimental design for the determination of Cu and Pb in marine sediments using taguchi's method

Taguchi's method appears to be an ideal statistical tool for the post-analysis correct determination of chemical composition in marine sediment samples. Using Taguchi's method in the chemistry laboratory, controllable factors such as mass per volume ratio, digestion temperature, digestion time and acids can be isolated to provide centring and variance control in Cu and Pb measurements or a “correct determination of Cu and Pb concentrations” minimizing the effect of noise factors. Statistical analysis is performed to identify the effect of parameters and their interactions. Also the expected cost savings under optimum condition is calculated. The results are confirmed by further measurements.     

Speciation Analysis of Thallium by Reversed‐phase Liquid Chromatography ‐ Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP‐MS) was used as a liquid chromatographic detector for the speciation analysis of thallium in environmental samples. In this study, ionic thallium species, namely Tl(I) and Tl(III) were well separated by reversed‐phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) with a C8‐HPLC column as the stationary phase and 1 mmol L^?1 tetrabutylammonium phosphate (TBAP), 2 mmol L^?1 diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) in 1% v/v methanol solution (pH 6) as the mobile phase. Effluent from the HPLC column was delivered to the nebulizer of the ICP‐MS for the determination of thallium. The separation was complete in less than 3 min. Detection limit was 0.002 μg L^?1 for both Tl(I) and Tl(III) compounds based on peak height. The relative standard deviation of the peak areas for five injections of a mixture containing 1 μg Tl L^?1 was better than 3.4%. The concentrations of Tl compounds were determined in standard reference materials, including NIST SRM 1643e Trace Elements in Water and NRCC NASS‐5 Open Ocean Seawater and water samples collected in Kaohsiung area, Taiwan. The HPLC‐ICP‐MS results of the reference samples agreed with the reference values. This method has also been applied to determine Tl(I) and Tl(III) compounds in custard apple (Annona squamosa) leaves collected from Chai‐shan Mountain, Kaohsiung and Taitung City, Taiwan. The thallium species were quantitatively leached from the leaves with a 5 mmol L^?1 DTPA in 100 mmol L^?1 ammonium acetate solution in an ultrasonic bath during a period of 30 min. The HPLC‐ICP‐MS result that was obtained after the analysis of leaves sample showed a satisfactory agreement with the total thallium concentration obtained by ICP‐MS analysis of completely dissolved sample.     

高分辨等离子体质谱法直接测定高纯镓中的痕量元素

建立高分辨电感耦合等离子体质谱法(HR-ICP-MS)测定高纯镓样品中Be、Mg、A l、S i、Ti、V、Cr、Mn、Fe、Co、N i、Cu、Zn、Ge、As、Mo、Ag、Cd、In、Sb、Ba、Pb、B i等痕量元素的方法。样品用HNO3 HC l经微波消解后,试液直接进样用HR-ICP-MS法同时测定上述元素,在高分辨质谱测量模式下避免了大量的质谱干扰,详细地研究了HC l和高纯镓所产生的基体效应,以Sc、Rh、Tl作为内标元素校正了基体效应,讨论和确定了实验的最佳测定条件。结果表明,23种痕量元素的检出限在0.001~0.21μg/L之间;回收率在89.8%~111.6%之间,相对标准偏差(RSD)小于3.3%。     

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for simultaneous determination of cadmium, cobalt, lead and nickel in water samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

We report on a new method for the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of Cd(II), Co(II), Pb(II) and Ni (II) from water samples prior to their simultaneous determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The procedure is based on the injection of a ternary solvent system composed of appropriate quantities of extraction solvent (trichloroethylene), dispersive solvent (ethanol), and the chelating reagent 2-(2′-benzothiazolylazo)-p-cresol into the sample solution. The solution turns turbid immediately after injection, and the analytes are extracted into the droplets of the organic phase which was dried and dissolved in a mixture of Triton X-114, nitric acid, and ethanol. The metal ions in this mixture were quantified by ICP-OES. The detection limits under optimized conditions are 0.2, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.7?μg?L^?1 for Cd(II), Co(II), Pb(II) and Ni(II), respectively. The enrichment factors were also calculated for Cd (13), Co (11), Pb (11) and Ni (8). The procedure was applied to the determination of cadmium, cobalt, lead and nickel in certified reference material (waterway sediment) and water samples.

Determination of trace elements in seawater and river water by atomic absorption spectrometry with the use of an electrothermal crucible atomizer with two evaporation zones for solid samples

Direct and sorption-atomic absorption spectrometric determination methods were developed for dissolved and suspended Cd, Pb, and Tl species in seawater and river water were developed. These methods involve the step of ashing solid matrices (suspension or suspension + concentrate) in the crucible-rod system followed by the simultaneous atomization of a thermally modified sample and a condensate of volatile components. A crucible-cell-rod three-chamber graphite electrothermal atomizer with two evaporation zones and a common isothermal analytical zone, which were heated independently, was proposed for the analysis of these matrices. The approach proposed improved the metrological characteristics of the results of determining volatile metals in samples with high organic matter contents.     

Optimization of sample preparation and ICP-MS analysis for determination of 60 elements for characterization of the plant ionome

An ICP-MS method for determination of 60 elements in plant samples is proposed based on optimization of digestion, recommending use of HF besides HNO₃ and H₂O₂ and calibration procedures, using CRMs for construction of calibration curves. Adequate choice of analytical isotopes and various measurement conditions (cold plasma for the determination of Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Si and Sr and DRC mode for determination of Ag, As, Ni, Pd, Pt, Se and V) as well as introduction of appropriate corrections lead to determination of as large number of elements with quadropole ICP-MS as with the more expensive SF-ICP-MS. Two measurements are performed: cold plasma and standard/DRC mode. The analytical characteristics of the method are demonstrated by analysis of five CRMs and the agreement of the experimental results with the certified/information/literature values is very good. Detection limits are low enough to permit the determination of all elements but platinum metals at background level. The applicability of the method is demonstrated by analysis of Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) samples collected from regions with different anthropogenic influence. The results indicate high degree of pollution round the Pb-Zn smelter with As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn and increased concentrations of B, Be, Bi, Hg, In, Mn, Sb, Se, Sn, Ti, Tl, V and Zr. The dandelion sample, collected along a highway has increased concentrations of traffic released elements: Pt, Pd, Rh, Ce, La, Pb as well as Cu, Zn, Ba and Rb.